The legal system may be constantly evolving, but free online courses offer a great way for paralegals to stay up to date with all of the latest! Thanks to websites like edX, Coursera, and FutureLearn, anyone from anywhere can participate in online courses offered by the world’s best universities. That means you can learn about intellectual property law, brush up on successful negotiation strategy, and debate international humanitarian law on your own preferred time table. Though hundreds of online legal courses are available, we’ve got the rundown on 30 of the best free online courses for paralegals.
America’s Unwritten Constitution
Yale
America’s Unwritten Constitution is a free online law course offered by Yale Law School. The course serves as a helpful introduction to the basic techniques of constitutional interpretation. Syllabus topics include “Reading Between the Lines,” “Heeding the Deed,” and “Confronting Modern Case Law,” to name but three. The course is available 100% online, offers flexible deadlines, and takes about 17 hours to complete.
Online Course Website
American Contract Law I
Yale University
American Contract Law I is the first part of a free online course offered by Yale University via Coursera. It’s especially helpful for the paralegal whose tasks include preparing and filing contracts. This beginner-level online course covers the ways in which a valid contract is created. It describes the key parts of an enforceable contract, including:
- the offer
- acceptance
- consideration
- promissory estoppel
The class is 100% online, has flexible deadlines, and takes about 20 hours to complete.
Online Course Website
Child Protection: Children’s Rights in Theory and Practice
Harvard University
Child Protection: Children’s Rights in Theory and Practice is a free online course offered by Harvard University via edX. It’s ideal for the paralegal working in family law. This beginner-level online class discusses:
- the impact of violence and abuse on children
- the ways in which global child protection issues can be analyzed
- the standards of protection for children in contact with the law
The course is 100% online, offers flexible deadlines, and takes about 1-3 hours per week for 28 weeks.
Online Course Website
Communication Skills and Teamwork
Fullbridge
Communication Skills and Teamwork is a free online course which is sure to prove beneficial to anyone with a career involving communication, including paralegals. It’s offered by Fullbridge via edX. This beginner-level course walks students through creating and delivering:
- high-impact communications
- improving their soft skills
- effectively leading and collaborating on teams
The course is 100% online, offers flexible deadlines, and takes about four weeks to complete.
Online Course Website
Contract Law: From Trust to Promise to Contract
Harvard University
Contract Law: From Trust to Promise to Contract is a free online course offered by Harvard University via edX. It’s perfect for those who work regularly with contracts. This intermediate-level online course covers such topics as:
- the differences between contracts, trusts, and promises
- forming contracts through valid offer and acceptance
- issues excusing contractual performance
- remedies for contractual breaches
The class is 100% online, is self paced, and can be completed in about 3-6 hours per week for eight weeks.
Online Course Website
Corporate & Commercial Law I: Contracts & Employment Law
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Corporate & Commercial Law I: Contracts & Employment Law is the first part of a free online course offered by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It’s available via Coursera. This intermediate-level course is ideal for paralegals working in firms dealing with contracts and employment law. By the end of the course, participants will be able to identify the different legal principles governing various business situations and to apply those principles to an issue. The course is 100% online and offers flexible deadlines. It takes approximately 23 hours to complete.
Online Course Website
Creative Problem Solving
University of Minnesota
Creative Problem Solving is a free online course offered by University of Minnesota via Coursera. It’s ideal for anyone who must think critically, including paralegals. This helpful online class uses:
- creativity-building exercises
- short lectures
- readings
to help students develop multiple ideas and concepts to solve problems. The course is 100% online, has flexible deadlines, and can be completed in about 14 hours.
Online Course Website
Data Privacy Fundamentals
Northeastern University
Data Privacy Fundamentals is a free online course offered by Northeastern University via Coursera. It’s ideal for the paralegal who routinely works with privacy laws. This beginner-level course covers:
- various theories of data privacy
- data privacy as it relates to social media and A.I.
- data privacy in regards to surveillance and new technologies, among other things
The course is 100% online, offers flexible deadlines, and takes about nine hours to complete.
Online Course Website
English for Effective Business Writing
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
English for Effective Business Writing is ideal for the paralegal who wants to improve his or her written English. It’s offered by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology via Coursera. This course is taught entirely in English and is part of a larger series on Business English. Students will learn to write professional business documents while practicing correct use of vocabulary, grammar, and different business writing genres. The course is 100% online, has flexible deadlines, and can be completed in about 24 hours.
Online Course Website
FinTech Law and Policy
Duke University
FinTech Law and Policy is a free online course offered by Duke University via Coursera. It’s perfect for the paralegal working in the ever-evolving world of financial technology. This beginner-level course provides students with an understanding of the critical legal, regulatory, and policy issues associated with:
- cryptocurrencies
- online lending
- initial coin offerings
- new wealth management technologies, among other things
The course is 100% online, offers flexible deadlines, and can be completed in approximately nine hours.
Online Course Website
Health, Housing, and Educational Services
Columbia University
Health, Housing, and Educational Services is a free online course offered by Columbia University via Coursera. It’s ideal for paralegals working with cases relating to:
- housing
- education
- healthcare
- immigration
This beginner-level course looks at these important issues from legal and social standpoints. The course is 100% online, has flexible deadlines, and takes about 19 hours to complete.
Online Course Website
Hot Topics in Criminal Justice
Vanderbilt University
Hot Topics in Criminal Justice is a free online course that is sure to appeal to any paralegal who is working in or interested in criminal justice. Offered by Vanderbilt University via Coursera, this beginner-level course discusses hot-button topics such as:
- mass incarceration
- the death penalty
- stop and frisk
- surveillance technology, to name but a few
The course is 100% online, has flexible deadlines, and can be completed in about 19 hours.
Online Course Website
Inequality and Democracy
Utrecht University
Inequality and Democracy is a free online course offered by Utrecht University via Coursera. It’s ideal for any paralegal. This beginner-level course covers everything from property rights and the corporation, to tax avoidance and capital flight, to campaign finance and lobbying, and everything in between. It’s looked at from the perspective that in most countries around the world, things are getting more and more unequal. The course is taught in English, is 100% online, and can be completed in approximately 20 hours.
Online Course Website
Intellectual Property Law
University of Pennsylvania
Intellectual Property Law is a free online course offered by Penn via the website Coursera. It’s perfect for the paralegal working in or interested in intellectual property. This intermediate-level course covers:
- the types of intellectual property protection available in the U.S.
- the ways in which patent documents are analyzed and interpreted
- the ways brands and other creative innovations can be protected
The course is 100% online, has flexible deadlines, and takes approximately four months to complete.
Online Course Website
Intellectual Property Law and Policy: Part I
University of Pennsylvania
Intellectual Property Law and Policy is the first part of a two-part course offered by University of Pennsylvania via edX. It’s ideal for any paralegal who needs to keep up with evolving intellectual property law. This intermediate-level course provides students with overviews of:
- intellectual property law
- patent law
- some policy implications of intellectual property
The course is 100% online, can be done at one’s own pace, and takes about 2-3 hours of work per week for six weeks.
Online Course Website
An Introduction to American Law
University of Pennsylvania
An Introduction to American Law is a free online course offered by University of Pennsylvania via Coursera. It’s perfect for those considering or just beginning their career as a paralegal. This beginner-level online class provides students with an introduction to six important areas of American law:
- Civil Procedure
- Constitutional Law
- Contract Law
- Criminal Law
- Property
- Tort Law
The class is 100% online, has flexible deadlines, and takes about nine hours to complete.
Online Course Website
Introduction to Environmental Law and Policy
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
UNC at Chapel Hill offers this free course on environmental law and policy via the website Coursera. Included in the syllabus are topics such as property and the environment, common-law approaches to environmental issues, and risk analysis and toxic substances. The course takes about 15 hours to complete.
Online Course Website
Introduction to Intellectual Property
University of Pennsylvania
Introduction to Intellectual Property is a free online course offered by University of Pennsylvania via Coursera. It’s perfect for the paralegal working in intellectual property. This beginner-level online class:
- discusses the various forms of intellectual property protection available in the U.S.
- analyzes effective intellectual property strategies
- examines alternatives to formal intellectual property protections, among other things
The course is the first of four on intellectual property law. It’s taught 100% online and takes about 16 hours to complete.
Online Course Website
Introduction to International Criminal Law
Case Western Reserve University
Introduction to International Criminal Law is a free online course offered by Case Western Reserve University via Coursera. It’s perfect for those working in or interested in criminal law. This beginner-level online class provides students with an introduction to topics such as:
- war crimes
- terrorism
- piracy
- torture
Students will also learn about how suspects of these crimes are apprehended and tried. The class is 100% online, offers flexible deadlines, and can be completed in about 12 hours.
Online Course Website
Introduction to Key Constitutional Concepts and Supreme Court Cases
University of Pennsylvania
Introduction to Key Constitution Concepts and Supreme Court Cases is a free online course. It provides valuable background information for anyone working in the legal profession, including paralegals. It’s offered by Penn via Coursera. This beginner-level course introduces students to:
- the Constitution and its origins
- the nature and structure of the federal government
- various landmark Supreme Court cases
The class is 100% online, has flexible deadlines, and can be completed in approximately six hours.
Online Course Website
Introduction to Logic
Stanford University
Logic is an important skill for anyone working in the field of law, and that makes this free online course a must-do for any paralegal. It’s offered by Stanford University via Coursera. Introduction to Logic introduces students to:
- the ways in which information can be encoded into logical sentences
- how one can reason with information presented
- how logic technology can be applied to law, business, and other fields
The class is 100% online, has flexible deadlines, and takes about 54 hours to complete.
Online Course Website
Mergers and Acquisitions – The Relentless Pursuit of Synergy
Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology
Mergers and Acquisitions is a free online course offered by the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology via Coursera. Though part of a series of courses on finance, this course would prove helpful to any paralegal working for a firm which deals with mergers and acquisitions. This intermediate-level course is taught in English and is 100% online. It offers flexible deadlines and can be completed in approximately 20 hours.
Online Course Website
Patent Law
University of Pennsylvania
Patent Law is another free online law course offered by Penn via Coursera. It’s especially helpful for those paralegals who work routinely with patent law. This course covers:
- the scope and limits of patent protection
- the standards of patentability and the requirements of patent law
- strategies for addressing patent infringement
- interpreting various patent-related claims
The class is 100% online, has flexible deadlines, and takes approximately 10 hours to complete.
Online Course Website
Privacy Law and Data Protection
University of Pennsylvania
Privacy Law and Data Protection is a free online course which explores the complex and ever-evolving concept of privacy. It’s offered by University of Pennsylvania via Coursera. This online law class covers:
- the Fair Information Principles
- the laws which pertain to data protection
- strategies for managing compliance issues related to privacy laws
- the privacy obligations that apply to various organizations
The class is 100% online, has flexible deadlines, and takes about 12 hours to complete.
Online Course Website
Property and Liability: An Introduction to Law and Economics
Wesleyan University
Property and Liability is a free online course which explores “the oldest and most familiar principles of American law, property and proportional liability, in a new and surprising way.” It’s offered by Wesleyan University via Courser. This interesting course covers topics ranging from Exchange and Efficiency to Crime and Punishment. The class can be completed entirely online, has flexible deadlines, and takes about 18 hours to complete.
Online Course Website
Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills
University of Michigan
University of Michigan offers the free online course Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills via the website Coursera. It’s ideal for the paralegal whose tasks include communicating with clients, court representatives, and lawyers. This course introduces students to the four steps to successful negotiation:
- Prepare
- Negotiate
- Close
- Perform and Evaluate
The class is 100% online, offers flexible deadlines, and takes approximately 16 hours to complete.
Online Course Website
Think Again I: How to Understand Arguments
Duke University
Think Again I: How to Understand Arguments is the first of four free online courses offered by Duke University via Coursera. It’s helpful for any paralegal who routinely reads, hears, and deciphers legal arguments. This beginner-level online class discusses how to identify and analyze arguments made by other people, and how to construct one’s own arguments. The class is taught 100% online, has flexible deadlines, and can be completed in approximately 16 hours.
Online Course Website
U.S. Health Law Fundamentals
University of Pennsylvania
U.S. Health Law Fundamentals is a free online course which explores the ways in which regulations, statutes, and common law influence the United States healthcare system and any potential changes. It’s offered by University of Pennsylvania via Coursera. This beginner-level course covers a variety of topics, including :
- the role of administrative law in modern medical care
- basic medical malpractice standards
- Medicare and Medicaid
- the scope and limits of conscientious objection, to name a few
The class is 100% online, has flexible deadlines, and takes about 10 hours to complete.
Online Course Website
Understanding Research Methods
University of London
Understanding Research Methods is a free online course that’s certain to prove helpful for anyone whose job includes research, including paralegals. It’s offered by University of London via Coursera. This class covers:
- research methods
- planning and management for research
- helpful resources, among other things
The class is taught 100% online, has flexible deadlines, and takes about 10 hours to complete.
Online Course Website
Writing and Editing: Word Choice and Word Order
University of Michigan
A paralegal’s job includes a ton of writing and editing. Up your skillset with this free online course from University of Michigan. Over the course of the class, students will learn strategic syntax, writing with originality, and the ways in which specific words can change the way readers make decisions. The beginner-level course takes about 20 hours to complete.
Online Course Website
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